olson kundig's 'daisy ranch' is a modern log cabin with panoramic windows

A House Between Meadow and Forest

Olson Kundig designs this Daisy Ranch as a long, low house between dense trees and an open meadow. The project sits close to the rugged coastline of Canada‘s Salt Spring Island, where exposed rock, cedar forest, and shifting weather shape the experience of the site throughout the year. Developed in close collaboration with the homeowner, who also acted as general contractor, the residence carries a directness that comes through in both its construction and spatial organization.

From a distance, the house reads as two distinct volumes stretched along a linear axis. One is defined by heavy square-cut logs, the other by glass framed in weathered steel and wood. A deep roof projects far beyond the enclosed spaces, extending outward to shelter terraces and circulation areas while reinforcing the horizontal profile of the building against the landscape. The steel cladding has already taken on a rust-colored patina that blends into the dry grasses and rocky terrain surrounding the property.

image © Andrew Latreille

step inside daisy ranch

Curating the approach to its Daisy Ranch, Olson Kundig tucks an eastern stairway beneath the large overhang. From there, a glazed corridor links the two primary sections of the house, creating a brief transitional space between the heavier log structure and the more transparent southern volume. The architects handle this moment with restraint, as the space relies on proportion, material weight, and framed sightlines instead of dramatic gestures.

Inside the main living area, the structure opens toward the meadow through expansive floor-to-ceiling glazing. A horizontal timber band cuts across the glass wall at eye level, subtly scaling the room while drawing attention outward toward the changing vegetation beyond. During summer, the windows face dense greens and filtered sunlight while, in winter, the same views flatten into stark contrasts of dark trunks against pale ground and sky.

large cantilevered roofs extend Daisy Ranch into the landscape of Canada’s Salt Spring Island

open-plan Living Spaces

Much of Daisy Ranch’s programming is organized within the southern volume, where the kitchen, dining area, and living room occupy an uninterrupted open plan. The interiors combine exposed timber with steel detailing and softer domestic elements that keep the house from feeling overly polished. A wood-burning stove sits at the center of the living space beside a circular steel firewood holder custom designed for the project. Nearby, bubble-shaped glass fixtures hang from the ceiling beams while a suspended fabric swing introduces an unexpectedly informal note.

A large mural by a Vancouver-based artist stretches across part of the floor, bringing color into an otherwise restrained palette of wood, steel, and glass. These additions give the house a lived-in quality that feels connected to the client’s routines and interests. The architecture leaves room for those personal layers to remain visible instead of overpowering them with fixed formal statements.

weathered steel cladding takes on the color of the surrounding rocky terrain

extending the house outdoors

The long exterior deck operates almost as another room beneath the broad cantilevered roof. Steel guardrails angled like narrow slats create shifting gaps that maintain views toward the meadow while filtering light across the terrace surface. The overhang provides protection from rain through much of the year, allowing the outdoor spaces to remain active across seasons.

Integrated directly into the deck is a picnic table designed for large gatherings alongside a compact half-pipe where the client’s children can skateboard even during wet weather. These additions speak to how the house was shaped around occupation and movement instead of static presentation. The outdoor spaces feel adapted to the climate and rhythms of the site without becoming overly engineered.

a glazed corridor connects the two main volumes of the house

Private Rooms Facing the Landscape

The northern volume contains the bedrooms and primary suite behind a more enclosed façade of wood and steel cladding. Openings are placed selectively, framing narrow views toward trees, meadow, and distant sky while maintaining privacy from the approach side of the property. This contrast between openness and enclosure gives the house a clear spatial rhythm as occupants move from shared areas into more intimate rooms.

Wood continues throughout the bathrooms, where warm surfaces soften the sharper edges of the steel detailing elsewhere in the house. In the primary bath, a clawfoot tub positioned beside corner glazing directs attention back toward the landscape. The placement feels straightforward and effective, allowing the changing weather and light of Salt Spring Island to become part of the experience of the interior itself.

square cut logs contrast with expansive glass walls facing the meadow